TH E N O R T H COAST TIM ES E A G L E , JU L Y 1988
PA G E 8
FAT DAYS
T h e s e a r e th e fa t d a y s ,
T he b u t t e r - c r e a m - 'n '- h o n e y d a y s .
O p u le n c e of h e a lth ,
E v e n a - t in g e - o f - w e a lth d a y s ,
W h e re ro llin g in love
A nd th e b o d y 's p le a s u r e s
Is m u d -p u d d le p la y .
T h e y w ill n e v e r c o m e a g a in .
B y c h o ic e ,
S o m e of th e ir lu x u ry is a lr e a d y
S u r r e n d e r e d to th e le a n f u tu r e ,
A nd to the le a n p r e s e n t,
T h e h u n g ry , e m p ty p r e s e n t of s o m e ,
T he d a r k , lo n e ly p r e s e n t of o t h e r s .
T o m o rro w w ill a s k
F o r a fu lle r c ir c le ,
A th in n in g of th e c r e a m
So th a t m a n y m o r e c a n d r in k of th e cu p .
H o n ey , a te a s p o o n , c o lo r s
W ith s w e e t p le a s u r e a l l i t to u c h e s .
P e r h a p s we n e e d n o t g ro w p o o r
C o m p le te ly — p e r h a p s th e h o n e y
A nd m u d -p u d d le p la y r e m a in
As s t a t e s of m in d ,
I r r e d u c ib le by q u a n tity ,
W ea lth by r ig h t of lif e .
T h e s e a r e th e fa t d a y s .
We g ro w le a n e r
E v e n w h ile s to r in g f o r w in te r .
GAYLE
A LISO N S E IF F E R
P D IT R V
JOURNEY
on w e e k e n d s th e c a r s go to th e c o u n try
th is is th e c o u n try
r;
a n d n in e s tr o n g b e lls f r o m C ity H all
c a ll th e h o u r; th is h o u r w hen
s k y w ill b la c k e n an d o ff e r
s t a r s an d a w h ite m o o n . V io le t is
th e a i r 's c o lo r now , a d e e p e n in g
p u rp le l a s t lig h t c a u g h t w ith th e b e lls
in sw a y in g u p p e r m o s t b r a n c h e s of e lm s ,
a ll a g lo ry an d c la m o r
of c h a n g e s t i r r i n g
in th e w indy bow l of h ig h b r a n c h e s ,
in th e b la c k le a v e s , a new d a rk e n in g ,
in s ig h t, r e v o lu tio n .
You w e r e th e s m o k e of th e s a x a p h o n e
lin g e r in g in m y e a r s .
a n o ld r o a d h a s b e e n fo u n d
c r o s s i n g u n d e r a n ew one
T h e c l a r i n e t d a r t- d a s h in g
th ro u g h m y m in d .
Y ou w e re th e s p a r k of th e s n a r e
a n d th e r u s t l e of th e c y m b a l.
th e r i g h t c lo th e s a r e p u t on
f o r v is itin g n o b o d y w ho liv e s t h e r e
« n o te T h e s ly b a s s
J
. <t i
w ho p r o m p te d young m e n
th e s iz z lin g c o ro n e t
w ho b la s te d th e m f r o m th e ir s e a ts to d a n c e .
a b r o a d f o o tp r in t h a s b e e n d e c ip h e r e d
c ro s s in g a c e lla r
in one of th e e m p ty h o u s e s
by th e b u r ie d r o a d
s o m e o n e h a s d r iv e n a w hole d a y
to d e c la r e how lo n g it h a s b e e n th e r e
I w as th e t h r e a d in th e s e a m s
h o ld in g i t a ll to g e th e r p ie c e by p ie c e
c h o rd by c h o rd
I w as th e iv o r y s k in g e a r e d by y o u r p r in ts
th e f e v e r w ho la te n ig h t s tu m b le d a lo n e w ith you
e v e ry p h ra se
e v e r y d r in k
e v e ry c ig a re tte .
I w as th e e c h o w h irlin g ru m b lin g
a lo n e a f t e r e a c h g ig .
A D R IE N N E
C Y N T H IA
SHELLER
S o m e tim e a f t e r th e ro o f s f a ll in
th e c a r s b e g in to c o m e
PIANO
CALL THE HOUR
I t 's th e l a s t n ig h t of Ju ly ,
9 P .M .,t h e su n a lm o s t gone fr o m s ig h t
c lo s in g out h ig h s u m m e r
, 1
th e a i r c l e a r a s w a te r ,
HUNTER
FLA GG
n o b o d y know s a n y th in g
a b o u t w ho w as h e r e b e fo re
b u t n o th in g is r e a l
u n til it c a n be s o ld
s o a n ic e y o u n g c o u p le
h a s c a s t in p l a s t e r
th e b r o a d fo o t
th a t w e n t s o m e w h e re
th e a u th e n tic w h ite s o le
r i s i n g f r o m th e w h ite g ro u n d
HOYT
s o th a t p e o p le w ith c a r s
c a n ta k e th e fo o t h o m e
IN A WORLD OF TAKING,
THE MISTAKE
Down a n d dow n in to y o u r own r e g a r d
y o u d o u b le , d a n g lin g a b u c k e t,
to ta k e a s h in e . W h a t's th e s e c r e t ?
Y o u 're not i n t e r e s t e d in a n y th in g
t h e r e 's o n ly one of. So th e m i r r o r
is a m a z in g , an d you fin d y o u r s e lf in s id e it
to be d e e p . If you h a d a n o th e r
fifty y e a r s , y o u 'd f e e l th is
w o n d e rm e n t a t b e in g .
F r a m e d in a s t a n d s t i l l , y o u r h e a d
in th e c lo u d s , y o u r lik e n e s s
in m in d , you f a ll
to c lim b on t h e i r
b la n k w a lls
AMERIFUCKED
W. S . M E R W I N
A m e r ic a is w a itin g f o r a p la s tic J e s u s
th a t w ill n e v e r co m e
F a s c i s t p o lic ie s h a v e y o u on the r u n
C o j-p o ra te a s s h o le
s u i t an d tie
r a p e th e p e o p le
s e e th e m die
C a p i ta li s t f u c k e r s s e e k in g fo rtu n e a n d fa m e
p la s t ic m o n e y you p la y t h e i r g a m e
A m e r ic a I f e e l f o r y ou
a ll th e b u lls h it th a t y ou do
Y o u 'll h a v e m o n e y
but w ill you e a t
w hen th e w a r c o m e s to y o u r s t r e e t ?
So
ta k e
your
Jesus
h o ld
h im
f r o m s tr e a m i n g . Y ou th in k 'd e a th
I c an b e a r ' — th is im a g e of th e s e lf
in th e c a lm o f a h e ld p a il.
dear
Ju st
re m e m b e r
we
HEATHER
M c HUGH
L e t th e b e e s fly f r e e
We d o n e e d th e m f o r th a t
tr a m p in g f r o m flo w e r to flo w e r
w ith f e e t b e a r in g gold
a ll
T h e y h o a rd g o ld to o
p a c k e d in t h e i r own s tr a n g e b o x e s
L e a v e it t h e r e , r e m e m b e r M id as
Go to G r e e c e if y ou m u s t
bu t e a t y o u r b r e a d p la in
h av e
B ut th e c a tc h in the c l a r i t y c o m e s th e n :
to look lik e th is you m u s tn 't e v e r
be to u c h e d o r m o v e d a g a in .
Why m u s t you k e e p b e e s
s h e s a id
We d o n 't n e e d h o n ey
O u r b r e a d is th ic k an d ro u g h
a n d s w e e t en o u g h
Do n o t go a s a b e e k e e p e r
to th e w h ite b o x e s th a t lo o k lik e b o m b s
T he d a n g e r h u d d le s th e r e
s w a r m e d c r a w lin g e v e r y w ay
w a itin g f o r you to f o r g e t y o u r s w a th in g
It w o n 't be long t i l l a ll th e m o n e y 's gone
in lo v e w ith r e a s o n . T h is
is th e m i s t a k e . You th in k to o m u c h
o f y o u r lif e , f a r f r o m o c e a n s ,
f a r f r o m r i v e r s , fa r
DAMAGES
a lo t
to
fe a r
ALPO
E L IZ A B E T H
HOBBS